Tom Quinn

The Serpent on the Pole

“I have set before you life and death” (Deut 30:19).

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so, must the Son of Man be lifted up” (John 3:14).

In this verse of scripture, the Lord is referencing the time when the children of Israel had been delivered out of Egypt and were in the wilderness. They complained and “spoke against God” to Moses as the following verse tells us:

“And the people spoke against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loathes this light bread” (Numbers 21:5).

They hated the Manna that the Lord had provided for them and their complaining brought judgment on them in the form of “fiery serpents” which took the lives of many of the Israelites.

And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died” (Numbers 21;6).

The people then admitted their sin against the Lord and asked Moses to intercede for them before the Lord. Moses prayed for them and the Lord answered his prayer.

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass (copper), and put it upon a pole and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived” (Numbers 21:7,8)

For us today, this serves as a type pointing to the Cross. Sin, represented by the serpent, will result in death for us as it did for the Israelites if we reject the true bread from Heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ. The only answer for sin is the Cross. It was totally addressed at the Cross. When we look to the Cross, that is, place our faith in Christ and Him crucified, our sins are forgiven and we are given “newness of life” through faith by the power of the Holy Spirit.

All blessings come from our Heavenly Father through the Lord Jesus Christ. His sacrificial death on the Cross paid the sin debt owed to God and allowed the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. By faith, we are forgiven and will have victory over the sin in our lives. The following verse shows us the way:

“For the Law (Law of God) of the Spirit (how the Spirit works) of life (all life comes from Christ through the Holy Spirit) in Christ Jesus (by His sacrificial death on the cross which makes newness of life possible) has made me free from the Law of Sin and Death (the Law of God is the only way to victory over the Law of Sin and Death)” (Romans 8:2 plus commentary – mine & ESB notes).

In our introductory verse, the Lord Jesus is showing all those that will heed the call that forgiveness of sin and newness of life comes through His sacrificial death on the Cross of Calvary. It comes only through the Cross. We are warned in the New Testament against rejecting the Gospel. Hebrews 2:3 says “How shall we escape if we reject so great a Salvation. The Lord is calling out to all those in the world today. Mercy and Grace are there for anyone that will come in repentance and faith. The Lord was lifted up on the Cross and draws “all men” to Himself through His atoning death at Calvary as our closing verse tells us:

“And I, if I be lifted up from the Earth (His sacrificial death on the Cross), will draw all men unto me” (John 12:32).

Always Remember,

God Loves you!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

Follow to receive email notifications regarding new articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2023

The Earth Is the Lord’s

“In the Beginning, God Created the Heavens and the Earth” (Genesis 1:1).

“The Earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they who dwell in it” (Psalm 24:1).

“I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even My hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded” (Isaiah 45:12).

“The heavens are Yours, the Earth also is Yours: as for the world and the fulness thereof, You have founded them” (Psalm 89:11).

Our God created the Earth and everything in it. He created man to dwell upon the Earth and created the heavens above us. All creation came into existence by the Word of the Lord. And He alone sustains it.

“God has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son (the Lord Jesus Christ) Whom He has appointed Heir of all things, by whom He made the worlds. Who being the brightness of His Glory, and the express Image of His person, and upholding all things by the Word of His Power….” (Hebrews 1:2,3).

The Father has spoken to us through His Son in these last days. He has done that by the Incarnation. The Lord Jesus came to speak the Father’s Words to mankind and to die on the Cross to pay the sin debt. This was God’s plan from the foundation of the world. He has appointed Jesus “heir of all things” by way of the Cross. All that has been created has been created through the Son and is sustained through His (Christ’s) Power. These verses speak of Christ’s humanity in becoming the God/Man and living among us. They also speak of His Divinity being the “brightness of His (God’s) Glory” and “the express image of His Person.”

For by Him (Christ) were all things created, that in Heaven, and that are in Earth, visible and invisible…. all things were created by Him, and for Him. And He is before all things, and by Him, all things consist” (Colossians 1:16,17).

He (Christ) was before all things created and everything was created by Him and is dependent on Him. Again, this speaks of His Deity. All that was created was created by Christ and He sustains it all. The Earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. It’s incredible when you think about it: the God of Glory came and dwelt among us to save us from our fallen nature.

“Through faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Hebrews 11:3)

All that was created was created by the Lord out of nothing. He spoke the Word and all that we see in our world today was created by Him and for Him.

“All things were made by Him; and without him was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3).

As this scripture tells us: the Lord created and sustains all things in our world. He will maintain our world until the time judgment comes. We are to be good stewards in this world that He has created, but He is the One Who sustains it. Everything will continue by His Power. We need not fear that our world will be destroyed by overpopulation, or anything else. The Earth is the Lord’s. His care over it is made clear in the following verse:

“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” (Genesis 8:22).

Always Remember,

God LovesYou!

Follow to receive email notifications regarding new articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2023

The Bridge Is Out Ahead

Who Will Heed the Warning?

“But they have not all obeyed the Gospel. For Isaiah said, Lord, who has believed our report” (Romans 10:16).

The following illustrates the danger that those in the world face who do not know the Lord. I relate this, as best I can, as an illustration I once heard from a pastor. A man stands in the darkness of night waving a lantern as a car approaches. There has been a horrific storm and the bridge ahead is out. The man standing in the road seeks to warn all those that approach of the danger ahead. A father in an approaching car has his family with him. He sees the dark figure standing in the road waving the lantern. He wonders who this person is and what his intent might be? Should he stop and risk the safety of his family? As he approaches he slows down and opens his window. He now clearly sees the figure standing there. The man is waving and yelling something. The father makes the decision to come to a stop and hear what the man is yelling. His face turns pale as he hears the man repeatedly yell, “The bridge is out ahead! The bridge is out ahead!”

The father in our fictional story had a decision to make. A decision that would affect his and his family’s wellbeing. He chose to heed the warning and his family was saved from certain death. We can liken the father and his family to those in the world. The man standing in darkness warning all those that come this way can be likened to the Lord. The bridge out ahead represents the end for all those who do not heed the Lord’s warning. the following familiar verse says it all:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have Everlasting Life” (John 3:16).

The Lord left His home in glory to save us from certain condemnation and an eternity of suffering away from the presence of the Lord. We have a fallen nature and cannot save ourselves. The Bible says “There is none righteous, no, not one” and “For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.” The Lord saw our great need and came to die on the Cross to pay the sin debt owed to God that we could not pay. He offers us forgiveness and “Newness of Life” in Him.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord” Romans 6:23).

This verse warns all those that will not come the Lord’s way of the end they face. The “wages of sin is death.” This is an eternity away from the presence of God. The bridge is out ahead and the Lord calls out to all those on the Earth. By faith in Christ and His sacrificial death on the cross, the Lord offers Eternal Life with Him in Glory. It is a “gift of God.” We cannot earn it. We come just as we are and believe in the God that loves us and stands in the roadway of life warning all those who come this way.

The Lord has done all He can. It is up to us to hear His words of warning and heed them. The bridge is out ahead! Will you listen to the one who loves you and has proven that love by giving His life for us? It is no small matter. Our eternal well-being is at stake. The Lord is calling out to all those in the world today in His Mercy and Grace.

“Come unto me (the One Who gives Salvation), all you who labor and are heavy laden (we cannot work our way), and I will give you rest (by our faith placed in Christ and Him crucified)” (Matthew 11:28).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Follow to receive email notifications regarding future articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2023

“Oh Death, Where Is Your Sting?”

“Oh grave, where is your victory?”

“Oh death, where is your sting….” (1 Corinthians 15.55a).

The answer to the question our title poses is sin. We have a fallen nature that we were born into. We are unable to lift ourselves out of this fallen state. We are unable to save ourselves. When we come to the Lord: the sting, or fear, of death, is removed because Jesus paid the sin debt owed, and that took away the sting of death. We have been forgiven and can look forward to spending eternity with the Lord.

“Oh grave, where is your victory? (1 Corinthians 15:55b)

Those that do not know the Lord have a fear of death. Just as Adam and Eve feared and hid from the Lord after they sinned against Him, those that do not know the Lord live in fear. They know they are guilty of sin. The only remedy is the forgiveness and grace of God. Sin is the sting of death. The Lord is offering mercy and grace today to whosoever will come to Him. Should they choose not to come, eternal death will surely be their end.

“The sting of death is sin….” 1 Corinthians 15:56a).

Jesus conquered death on the Cross. Death came as a result of original sin. When Adam and Eve sinned, it resulted in a fallen nature, the sin nature, and all those that came after them were born in this fallen state. As believers, we no longer fear death because we know that we have a bright future, all because of what Christ accomplished on the Cross. When we die we will immediately be in the presence of the Lord.

“We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).

We love the life the Lord has given us here, but we know that it will end at some point and look forward to being in the presence of the Lord when our time here ends. The sin nature was the consequence of the Fall in the Garden. The final effect of the sin nature left on its own is death. The Lord, seeing our fallen condition, left His home in glory and died on the Cross to pay the sin debt and save us from the sin nature that kept us in bondage. When we place our faith in Christ and Him crucified, we are dead to the sin nature.

“Likewise reckon (account) yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin (the sin nature), but alive unto God (Resurrection Life) through Jesus Christ our Lord (by what Christ accomplished at the Cross) (Romans 6:11).

Should we not go the Lord’s way the end result will be death and separation from the Lord for all eternity. The sin nature is empowered by the Law. The Law shows us what is right and what we should do, but gives us no power to obey it. We are also talking about laws we make up to make ourselves acceptable to God. This results in self-righteousness which is wholly unacceptable to God.

“…..and the strength of sin is the Law” (1 Corinthians 15:56b)

By our faith in Christ and Him crucified, the Lord imputes to us His Righteousness which makes us right with God. The Lord saw our helpless condition and reached down in His love and provided our Salvation to us as a gift. We are saved by grace, not by any works we might do. Salvation is completely of the Lord. We can now say “Oh death, where is your sting.”

“But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Follow to receive email notifications regarding new articles

HereI Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2023

Wasted Years

One Man’s Journey

“Seek the Lord while He may be found, call on Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6).

I knew a man whose testimony was all about wasted years. When he was a child he wanted to know and serve the Lord. He went to his pastor who, unfortunately, did not know the Lord. He spoke to the boy about church rules. The boy served in the church but he did not gain what he originally came to find which was to know the God Who he felt was drawing him. He eventually left the church as a young man finding nothing there that satisfied his desire for the Lord.

His life through his twenties and into his thirties was spent in the world with little regard for the things of the Lord. He had little hope in finding what he sought as a young boy. However, deep down he still believed that there was a way to know the God that he felt had drawn him those many years ago. He went through a business failure and had much free time to pursue his favorite pastime, which was reading.

He came across a book on prophecy and read it cover to cover. The same author had written other books and in one of those books, the author shared the Gospel. He couldn’t believe that the Gospel was so simple. Jesus died for our sins on the Cross and if we repent and place our faith in His sacrificial death at Calvary, we will be saved and have fellowship with the Lord. The man was excited about finally knowing the way to the Lord after all those years. But he thought about all those wasted years. He was so grateful that the Lord had revealed Himself to Him, but he thought how much different his life would have been if he had found the Lord as a child. Wasted years!

This man’s story is one of many regarding wasted years. He did not hear the Gospel until well into his thirties. He thanks God every day for His mercy and grace and is so thankful that he knows the Lord and has been brought into the family of God. The Lord has blessed the man abundantly since his coming to the Lord. In some ways, the Lord has restored those lost years in blessings. The man has drawn near to the God Who called him those many years ago.

Many, however, have heard the Gospel and have chosen to reject it. They have heard that the Lord has provided a Salvation for whosoever will come His way. They have chosen to go their own way which will only lead to an eternity without the Lord. Wasted years – wasted lives!

“O satisfy us early with Your mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days” (Psalm 90:14).

We are on this Earth for a short period of time and coming to know the Lord is the most important thing that could ever have happened to us. Once we know the Lord, we rejoice and are glad through all the remaining years of our lives. If we put off knowing the Lord for the present, there is no guarantee that we will come to the Lord in the future. The longer we live without the Lord, the harder it will be to come to Him as we become more and more settled in the ways of the world. If we do delay coming to the Lord after hearing the Gospel, and come to Him later in life, we will see that it is the greatest life we could ever live. We will look back on those wasted years when we did not know Him and think how foolish we were.

If you do not know the Lord – you have heard the Gospel today. It is your decision to accept, or reject it. I pray that you will come to Him in repentance and faith. All the years of our lives that are lived outside of knowing the love the Lord has for us are wasted years.

“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Follow to receive email notifications regarding future articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2023

Who Are the Children of God?

Those Led by the Spirit Are the Children of God

“But as many as received Him (Jesus), to them gave He power to become sons of God, even to them who believe on His Name” (John 1:12).

I have heard it said that we are all children of God. As far as creation is concerned, that is true. But not all are children of God by a relationship with Him. We become children of God, with all its wonderful benefits, by placing our faith in Christ and His sacrificial death at Calvary. Jesus called it being “born again” or being “born of the Spirit” (John 3:3,6).

“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ…..” (Romans 8:16,17).

The Bible tells us that those that have come to the Lord in repentance and faith are children of God now and that the Holy Spirit “bears witness” to that. The Holy Spirit abides within us if we are children of God and is constantly speaking to us. We are also heirs of God. What an amazing privilege! And we are not only heirs but joint heirs with Christ. All that is Christ’s is ours through our faith in His sacrificial work at Calvary. The Holy Spirit leads us as the following verse tells us:

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14).

The Holy Spirit leads us in our daily walk. He works exclusively through the finished work of Christ. As we make Christ and Him crucified the object of our faith, the Holy Spirit will work mightily in our lives. We are not to live by law or works, but by faith.

“For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry, ABBA, Father” (Romans 8:15).

If we attempt to live our lives by law or works of any kind, it will result in bondage. And bondage results in fear because we cannot live a life pleasing to the Lord in our own strength. It is impossible!! We are to walk by faith. We will do works such as the Christian disciplines (i.e. Bible reading, prayer, fasting, etc), but they are not to be the object of our faith. This will only result in us striving for victory in the wrong way.

“For you are all the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:26,27).

We have been “baptized into Christ.” This is a spiritual baptism and not a water Baptism. Spiritually, we are baptized into His death, buried with Him, and raised in Newness of Life. He became our substitute and our faith in Him gives us all the benefits for which He died. We are children of God and joint- heirs because we have “put on Christ.” Jesus explains this in the following verse:

“At that day you shall know that I am in my Father, and you in Me, in I in you” (John 14:20).

Jesus was speaking about what would happen after the Resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. He is speaking of His Divinity, “I am in the Father” and that we would be “in Him” by faith, and He would be in us to give us victory in our daily lives.

“..Christ in you, the Hope of Glory” (Colossians 1:27).

We are children of God today by faith in Christ and His sacrificial work at Calvary. We are heirs and joint heirs with Christ. We have the Holy Spirit within us to guide us and give us victory in our daily lives. The full realization of all the Lord has for us will come at the future Resurrection when we receive our glorified bodies. We are truly blessed by the Lord. What more could He have done. We were “lost and undone” as the words of the hymn tell us. And the Lord reached down and saved us from the sin that bound us. The Father loves us in spite of our fallen nature and sent His Son as a sacrifice for the sin of the world so that we might be forgiven and become the children of God. What love has God shown to us!!

“I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:18).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Follow to receive email notifications regarding new articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2023

What Is a Homeborn Slave?

Satan Has Blinded the Eyes of All Those Who Do Not Believe

“Is Israel a slave? Is he a homeborn slave? Why is he spoiled?” (Jeremiah 2:14)

Jeremiah was sent to Jerusalem, and Judah, to call them to repentance and warn them of the coming judgment of the Lord against them due to their following other gods. Their idolatrous behavior would result in them becoming slaves when the Lord allowed their nation to be overtaken by the Babylonian Empire. They had, in fact, already become slaves to the heathenistic gods that they now served. And they had sinned against the Lord for so long that they no longer feared judgment. In some 35 years from the time of Jeremiah’s prophecies, they would become slaves to a foreign power. They did not repent nor did they realize the severity of their situation and the fact that they had already become “homeborn slaves” to the gods of the surrounding nations.

A good example of a homeborn slave is a wild animal that is born into captivity. There are generations of these animals born in zoos. Their life is limited to the boundaries of a cage. The animal is captive, or a slave, and does not know the freedom that it is meant to enjoy. Such was Israel and such are all those that do not know the Lord today. Regarding homeborn slaves today; the following verse makes it clear:

“In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Satan has deceived the unbelieving world. They are in effect, “homeborn slaves.” They follow the “god of this world” and do not even realize it. Due to original sin, mankind is born into it. The fall in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve sinned against the Lord by yielding to the temptation brought to them by Satan, resulted in all those that came after them being born with a sin nature. Just as it was with Israel at the time of Jeremiah; the Lord warns all of humanity today that they will face judgment if they do not repent and go the Lord’s way. Satan deceived Adam and Eve and continues to deceive all those that do not know the Lord.

Those that realize their need for a savior, repent of their sins and come to the Lord. He has offered us forgiveness and fellowship with Him through His sacrificial death on the cross. God the Father sent His Son to pay the sin debt on the Cross so that we might be free to live the lives the Lord intended for us to live. There is a freedom in knowing the Lord that we cannot know while we live our lives as “homeborn slaves.” He is the “door” that releases us from the control of the sin nature and the “god of this world” as the Lord tells us in the following verses:

“I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

The thief (Satan) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

I am the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep” (John 10:9-11)

We are approaching the end of days as we know it. The Lord will return for those that love Him and, after that, will return in judgment on this world. Jesus told us how it would be at the time of his return. Incredibly, most of the world will not come to the Lord but will remain as “homeborn slaves” in bondage to Satan. Jesus spoke of the time of Noah being similar to the time of His return. All those at the time of Noah were going about their daily lives with no regard for the Lord. And then the flood came and “took them all away” as Jesus explained in the following verses:

“But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:37-39).

Just as those at the time of Noah lived their lives with no regard for the Lord or their eternal future; most in the world today give little thought to the things of the Lord, or where they will spend eternity. The Ark of Safety is here now. That “Ark” is Christ. The captives can be freed by faith in Christ and Him Crucified. The Lord has done all He can. The “door” is open wide to whomsoever will come in repentance and faith to the God that loves us and has provided the key to release us from the prison of our fallen nature.

The Lord warned Israel prior to their captivity to a foreign power. He is warning us at this time, and calling us to repentance and Eternal Life with Him. Israel didn’t listen and reaped the judgment. How many today will realize that they are “homeborn slaves” serving the “god of this world,” and come to the “door” the Lord has provided. Those that will heed the Lord’s warning will experience a freedom that they did not know possible. The Bible says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” If you do not know the Lord and will heed His call, you will experience a freedom that you have not known before.

“If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

Follow to receive email notifications regarding new articles

Scroll down to read additional articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2023

The Pearl of Great Price

It Will Cost You Everything

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all he had, and bought it” (Matthew 13:45,46).

The Lord spoke in parables on many occasions while He was here. The “Pearl of Great Price” represents knowing the Lord through His sacrificial death for our sins at the Cross. There is no greater treasure in this life than knowing the Lord Who loves us and calls us to Himself. The merchant in this parable had wealth but was not satisfied until he acquired the “Pearl of great price.”

As we live out our lives, we too will not be satisfied though we might acquire many of the world’s riches until we come to the Lord. Many never come to the Lord and live lives far below what their life could have been in knowing and serving the Lord.

Some think that they will have to give up to much to serve the Lord. The question is: What do you now have that can even compare with knowing and walking with the Lord? A life of fellowship with Him is the greatest life. The Apostle Peter said of it that it was “Joy unspeakable and full of glory.”

The real question is: What is our pearl of great price? What do we value over everything else in our lives? Is it our job, or maybe our bank account, or maybe something else? What can we value more than a relationship with the God that loves us and proved that love by His great sacrifice of Himself on the Cross? He paid the sin debt owed and offers us Eternal Life in His Presence.

The “Pearl of great price” can be purchased by all. It will cost you everything. We are to repent of going our own way and repent of the sin in our lives. We are to place our faith in Christ and His great work at Calvary. We are to make Him the Lord of our lives. The following verse says it well:

“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it” (Matthew 16:25).

The Lord is saying that if we do not come His way then we will be lost. We lose our life by coming to Christ as Savior and Lord. When we do that we find “Newness of life” in Christ. What we lose is our lost condition. As has been stated; What we gain is a life that is “Joy unspeakable and full of glory.” The Holy Spirit comes to indwell all believers and guide us in our daily walk as we place our faith in Christ and Him Crucified.

So it will cost us everything to come to the Lord, but what we gain is so much more than the “everything” that we give up. We gain the “Pearl of great price.” Paul said it well concerning his life prior to knowing Christ. He said the following:

“I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for Whom I have suffered loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may know Christ” (Philippians 3:8).

Yes, the “Pearl of great price” is worth all we give up to acquire it. As Paul said, “That I might know Him.” We who believe in the Lord Jesus cry out, as Paul did, that we might know Him. That we might draw closer to the One that loved us and died on the Cross at Calvary. That we might forsake the old and have “newness of life” in Him. Once we find the “Pearl of great price” we will sell all to gain it.

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Follow to receive email notifications regarding new articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2023

Martin Was Guilty

A Fictional Narrative

Guilty of what, you might ask? Well, pretty much everything. Martin had grown up in a neighborhood where crime was prevalent. His youth was spent as a member of a gang. His actions during his formative years would lead to a more brazen disregard for the law as he matured. Martin, by his own admission, was a man with little regard for society and the laws that protect it from people like him. By the time his teenage years had passed, Martin had been in and out of juvenile facilities, and jail, a number of times. The older he got, the more brazen his crimes became. Until finally he was charged with the killing of a man. We cannot even venture a guess as to what other crimes Martin had committed prior to his arrest for this murder. But let it be known that, according to his police file, they were many and very serious in nature.

After being convicted of this senseless murder; Martin was sentenced to be put to death by lethal injection. He spent his time in solitary confinement with no contact with the outside world. This was Martin’s choice. He did not want any visitors. He had no family, and all those he knew were either in prison or on the run from the law. Martin had resigned himself to the fact that the ultimate outcome for his crimes should be death by lethal injection. He felt it was what he deserved. It was just a matter of when this would come about. There were many on death row that had been there for quite a while.

Knowing that it might be some time before he faced death was not comforting to Martin. He spent his days alone with his thoughts and wanted the time for his execution to come as soon as possible. While in solitary confinement; Martin had nothing but time to think about his life and the life he had taken. The small market He had robbed was owned by an older man that Martin had known growing up in the neighborhood. The mask he wore during the robbery was not enough to hide his identity from the owner. The owner called him by name and begged him to just take the money and not harm him. Martin had pulled the trigger that had ended this man’s life and he now regretted it every day as he sat alone with his thoughts. The man had always been kind to him when Martin came into the store. But the knowledge that this man knew him, and that he would be arrested for the crime, caused Martin to do the unthinkable. He constantly thought about that moment and that fateful decision to end a life.

Martin now lived with the knowledge that he had killed this man while committing a crime. The man had a family and he had now been taken from them. The terribleness of what he had done in that store that day played out over and over again in Martin’s mind. He lived with guilt every day. He also thought about all the other crimes he had committed against those that were weaker than him, and for which, he had shown no mercy. Robbing and stealing from those that had little in life and were easy marks. How had it come to this? How could he live with himself with all he had done? It all played out over and over again in his mind. He wondered if the other men in solitary were going through what he was going through with the guilt that plagued his every thought.

One day a guard came by and asked Martin if he wanted to attend a church service. It was not common for those in solitary to be allowed out for anything except for showers and exercise. A pastor and church members from a prison ministry in a local church had come to the prison for a service. At first, Martin scoffed at the idea of attending, but as the guard passed by a second time; Martin asked to attend the service. Martin wasn’t sure why he asked to attend. Was it to break up the monotony of his daily life, or was there more to it?

When Martin arrived at the service in shackles and accompanied by guards; the service had already begun. There were many there from the regular prison population along with a couple prisoners, like himself, who were from solitary confinement. They were also in shackles and accompanied by guards. Music was playing and he noticed most were singing along. The words to the songs were posted on a large board at the front of the hall. Martin also noticed some of the men were raising their hands as the music played. This was all very strange to Martin. He had never witnessed anything like it. Martin probably wouldn’t admit it to anyone if asked, but He was enjoying all that he saw.

After the music ended, a man, who Martin assumed was a pastor, stood behind a podium and began to speak. He welcomed everyone in the Name of the Lord and said a prayer of blessing over the service. The pastor then preached on the following verse of scripture:

“For God so loved the world that he gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have Everlasting Life” (John 3:16).

The pastor said that Christ had come and died on the Cross for the sins of mankind. He said that Jesus, in paying for our sins, offers Eternal Life to all those that repent of their sins and place their faith in Him and His sacrificial death at Calvary. He mentioned the thief on the Cross who had asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His Kingdom. The pastor said that Jesus responded to the thief in this way: “Today shall you be with me in Paradise.” It was a powerful message that the pastor preached and none of it was lost on Martin.

Martin was returned to his cell. He could not get over what he had just heard. The pastor said that Jesus died for our sins. Would that include him with all the horrible wrongs he had done in his life? And what about the thief next to Jesus on the cross? He had obviously done enough wrong to warrant crucifixion, and yet Jesus said that he would be with Him in Paradise. Martin was overwhelmed by all this. Could the Lord love him? Could he be forgiven?

The pastor that had preached that day had a habit of visiting anyone that had attended for the first time. He came to Martin’s cell and Martin asked him about all he had preached that day. The Pastor assured him that the Lord would forgive him of all the wrongs he had done. He, like the thief on the cross, could be forgiven and spend eternity with the Lord. Martin prayed The Sinner’s Prayer that day and made things right with the Lord. Joy filled his heart as he worshiped the Lord.

Martin wrote a letter to the family of the man whose life he had taken. He asked for their forgiveness and told them that the Lord had changed him. That he was not the same man that had committed that awful crime. The family of the man received Martin’s letter with joy. They were Christians and had already forgiven him and had been praying for him. They became advocates for Martin and were instrumental in having Martin’s sentence commuted to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Today, Martin is still in prison and serves the Lord with all his heart. He is unsure of what might happen to him regarding his time in prison, but he is now sure of his future after he passes from this life. He will be with the One that loved Him and reached down in His great mercy and saved him. He now lives each day with thanksgiving and great joy.

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

See The Sinner’s Prayer page on this website. Link below!

https://wordpress.com/page/tqministries.com/1752

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for podcasters, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

Follow to receive email notifications regarding future articles

Scroll down to read additional articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2023

The Third Day

As Told By Someone Who Was There That Week in Jerusalem

A First-Person Fictional Narrative

“And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve Disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man shall be betrayed unto the Chief Priests and unto the Scribes, and they shall condemn Him to death, and shall deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify Him: and the third day He shall rise again” (Matthew 20:17-19).

I live in Jerusalem and witnessed the crucifixion of the one that some said was the Messiah. I heard that he told his followers that he would be in the grave for three days and three nights and would rise from the grave on the third day. I don’t know if he actually said that, but those that told me about it were sure that he had. He was crucified yesterday and that means two more days to wait. Will he really rise from the dead? It seems impossible! He did say many wonderful things while He was here. And all the healings! I wonder if he really was the Messiah? The one everyone has been waiting for. Two more days to see if what He said about himself would come about.

There are many here who think he was an imposter, including the religious leadership. I do wonder about their motives though. No one has ever done what this man has done. All those wonderful works! They witnessed it all yet they had Him crucified. Did they actually believe that he was the long-awaited Messiah? Did they feel threatened by Him? Their hatred for Him seemed to be so wrong and their treatment of Him so evil and unfair. Two more days.

I was there at the crucifixion and have never seen anything as awful as that. The man didn’t even look like a man. They had beaten him so badly that he was unrecognizable. Those standing around the scene at Calvary represented three groups. There were the mockers telling Him to come down from the Cross if God was with him. And there were those that just stared with astonishment at what was happening. They had never seen a crucifixion like this! The man was so physically abused! And so hated by the religious leaders of Israel. It was shocking to observe.

There was a third group present and they represented some of his disciples, his followers, and his mother. I cannot even imagine the sorrow they felt and the feeling of helplessness in being unable to stop what was happening. This good man was being crucified for no crime whatsoever and they stood there aghast at the sight. This group believed that he was the promised Messiah.

It’s now Saturday and groups of people are gathering throughout Jerusalem talking about the terrible events of the previous day. They talked about how they had heard that he promised to rise again on the third day. His disciples were nowhere to be found. As I walked down the Via Dolorosa there was great sadness and sorrow among all those walking along that way. It just seemed to hang in the air. Everyone knew that something quite terrible had taken place in Jerusalem. This was the very way that the soldiers had led the man down to his crucifixion. They spoke of him being so weak from the beatings that he was unable to carry his cross. All those that gathered along the way talked about all the good he had done. One more day.

It’s the third day and there is a rumor spreading throughout Jerusalem that the tomb is empty and that he had indeed risen from the dead. Someone said that they had spoken to some of his followers and they said that the rumor was indeed true. There was an account of a woman, who they said had actually seen him and had spoken with him. Incredible news! Amazing things are happening in Jerusalem on this day. It seems that the sadness that hung over the city for the last three days has lifted. It has been replaced with a sense of great wonder.

I remember those times in the past when I had journeyed many miles to hear this man speak. His words were like no other man’s. I was in need of healing and the man touched me and I was healed. Just being in his presence was something you would never forget. I have decided that He was in fact the Messiah and I am on my way to join His followers. It’s the third day and he has risen indeed!

“Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher….and they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher. And they entered in and found not the body of the Lord Jesus……behold two men stood by them in shining garments. And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they (the Angels) said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen…..” (Luke 24:1-6).

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: